The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-05-21

Az has been remarked b. Tie com.
mentatorA and - b apparent to careful
readerA Il would ssem that some notion
Of the week Of ssyen days WAS current
among the people whose history h 10
corded IN very early times, that b 70
say. ut . date long preceding Moses or
any Of the books written BY him. The
proof of this 10 to b found in such
passages ~ the following: Genesis.
XXX, 81. where Jacob ID desired BY
Laban to fulfill her week," that q
Leah's week. in order that he might
also receive Rachel. The week appears
to express tho time given up to nuptial
festivities. So afterward in Judges.
xiv, where Samson speaks of ''the
seven days Of the feast" So also on
the occasion Of tho death OF Jacob,
Joseph made . mourning for his father
seven days" Genesis, l.. 10.) But
neither of these instances, any moro
than Noah's procedure in the ark, 60
further than showing tho custom Of OBJ
serving = term Of seven days for any
observance Of importance" They do
not prove that the whole year or the
whole month was thus divided at all
times and without regard to remark
able events. They do not indeed prove
this. but they suggest the division ~
common and familiar and In some early
period recognized ~ An institution.
When, therefore. the children Of Israel
went down to Egypt for what proved to
be a very long sOjOurn in that country
they possibly were familiar with tho
practice Of dividing time BY weeks and
mt all events the notion of seven days -
Il cOnre1ient portion of time for the
affairs of life would not seem altogether
strange TO them. 1t 10 exceedingly
probable that on arriving in Egypt they
found the week established by the prac-
tice Of the country. 1t will be observed
that it was in Egypt that Joseph mourn
ell seven days for Jacob; and it is pos
sible. though there seems to be no neces-
sity to assume the fact, that in so doing
he was conforming to the custom of the
country. as he did with regard to the
embalming and chesting Of his fathers
remains. But independently of any
such consideration. it would seem high
" probable that the lsraelties found
themselves in Egypt among a people
who divided the time by weeks of seven
DAYS. We know that they did 30 at q
later period; why might they not have
commenced as early as before the so
jourh of the Israelitesa The Egyptians
were. in fact, people very likely to be
advanced in such matter as this;
order and government. both ecclesiasti-
cal and civil. were undoubtedly in . re-
state of perfection ut the time
to which reference is now made, and it
would seem much moro probable than
otherwise that SO convenient an institu-
ton as the subdivision of the month
into short periods had already been
1t may be noted with
reference to the number seven and its
recognition in some form or another a.
q special number among the Egyptians,
shat we have incidental evidence in the
dream of Pharaoh; the special form of
the dream. as presenting seven fat and
seven lean kline. may be supposed to
have been connected with some famil-
iarity in Pharaoh's mind with the num-
Der seven during his waking hours
Aud as regards the Israelites. 1t may be
observed that the period of seven days |
Is introduced into the most solemn |
event Of their Egyptian sojourn. name
". the ordinance of the Passover.
Seven days shall ye eat unleavened
bread; even the first day ye shall put
away leaven out of your houses; for
whosoever eateth leaven bread from the
irst until the seventh day. that soul
shall be cut off from Israel. "-11e
Bishop of Carlisle in the Contemporary
ReUteU.